39

Nicola’s heart was pumping like some sort of out-of-control machine. She could feel Quicksilver’s muscles tense beneath her and she caressed his mane, trying to calm both the animal and herself.

This was it. If they failed today, they would all be stuck in a Shobble jail forever. She would never see Earth or her bedroom or her parents again.

She and the Space Brigade, together with Topaz, Serena and Joshua, were all astride their ShobGobbles, their feather-whips held in front of them. Behind them the yellow-dressed people of Shobble stood, arms linked. When Nicola looked back over her shoulder, it was like looking at a massive field of yellow corn.

There was a sound of thundering hooves. Enrico and his Security Thugs were approaching swiftly around the curved snowy shore of the Honey Sea. They were riding black ShobGobbles and brandishing black feather-whips. Enrico rode at the front, wearing a blood-red cape that billowed behind him. He was followed by a pack of enormous, barrel-chested Security Thugs, with silver canisters strapped to their backs.

‘Those canisters are the Despair Gas,’ said Topaz.

‘He’s brought more Thugs than I expected,’ said Joshua tersely.

‘We can take them on,’ said Sean, and only Nicola, who knew her brother so well, could sense the fear and doubt in his voice.

‘I can’t believe it. He’s brought his family along to watch the show!’ said Shimlara.

Travelling alongside the Thugs was a majestic sleigh. As it got closer, Nicola could see Carmelita and the twins swathed in furs and munching on sandwiches as if they were about to watch a soccer match.

‘What should we do?’ asked Katie.

‘Don’t move,’ said Topaz quietly. ‘Just wait for Nicola or me to give the order.’

‘Halt!’ Enrico commanded his Thugs. They instantly pulled up their ShobGobbles and stopped in a precise line behind Enrico, their faces blank and robotic.

‘Hello, ladies,’ said Enrico, looking at Nicola and Topaz. ‘I see the incompetent Earthling and the impudent troublemaker have become friends. How sweet! Well, you’ll have plenty of time to chat when you spend the rest of your days in a jail cell. Oh, wait a minute, how silly of me! You won’t be able to chat because you won’t be able to talk after you’ve had a lovely, refreshing drink of my specially brewed lemonade!’

There were peals of appreciative laughter from the sleigh.

‘We just won’t drink it,’ muttered Sean.

Enrico said, ‘Oh, it’s surprising what you’ll drink when you’re dying of thirst. Just ask Silent Fred.’

Nicola could feel the anger rising from Topaz and Joshua like steam from a kettle.

‘What do you think of our clothes, Enrico? Do you like the colour? We’ve gone for a lovely buttery, lemony, sunshiny yellow,’ said Nicola.